Had a wet pour go sideways on me in Sacramento last Thursday

I was finishing a 30x40 slab for a backyard patio and we got hit with a surprise rain shower about 20 minutes after the pour. The water pooled up in one corner near the house foundation, and the surface started getting all pitted and rough. I had to grab a push broom and a squeegee to move the water off before it set any harder, then I hit it with a light trowel pass to smooth things back out. The finish wasn't as perfect as I wanted, but the homeowner came out when the sun came back and said it looked fine. I told him I'd throw in a free sealer coat to make up for the rough spot, and he shook on it. Has anyone else had to deal with rain on a fresh slab? What's your go-to fix when the weather shifts on you?

2 comments

2 Comments

josephs2623d agoMost Upvoted

Did you have to reschedule any other jobs after that? I once had a slab start to set too fast on me here in the valley cause the temp shot up out of nowhere. I was out there with a spray bottle and a piece of plastic sheeting, trying to slow down the cure while I worked the edges. My helper thought I was nuts, but we got it done. Ended up with a slightly different color where I put the sheet, but the guy said it looked like character. Rain or heat, you just gotta roll with it and hope the customer's cool like yours was.

fiona_murray23d ago

Yeah that rain stuff is brutal, especially when you think you've got a clear window. What gets me is how fast it can mess up the surface if you don't catch it quick enough. So @josephs26 mentioned the heat issue, which I deal with all the time here too, but I'm curious - when you did that light trowel pass after squeegeeing, did you have to add any dry cement or just work the existing cream? I've tried both ways and sometimes the dry stuff just makes it worse if you're not careful. Also, how long did you wait before you hit it with the trowel again? I always worry about trapping moisture under the skin and getting that flaking later on. Really curious what your gut told you in that moment.